9th/12th (The Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers
|branch= British Army |type=Cavalry |command_structure=Royal Armoured Corps |role=Formation Reconnaissance |size= One regiment |current_commander= |garrison= RHQ: South Wigston, Leicester Regiment: Hohne, Germany |ceremonial_chief=HRH The Duke of York |ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel-in-Chief |colonel_of_the_regiment= Major-General J.H.T. Short CB OBE |nickname= The Delhi Spearmen''Acquired during the Indian Mutiny, 1857 |motto= ''Ich Dien (I Serve) |Number of VCs = 15 |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_label=Tactical Recognition Flash |identification_symbol_4=9/12 L |identification_symbol_4_label=Abbreviation |march=Quick: God Bless the Prince of Wales Slow: Men of Harlech, The Coburg March |battles= |anniversaries=Mons/Moy }} The 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1960 by the amalgamation of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers and the 12th Royal Lancers. It is currently a formation reconnaissance regiment, equipped with the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family of vehicles and attached to the 7th Armoured Brigade, the Desert Rats. The regiment is based in South Wigston, Leicestershire, along with its affiliated Territorial Army unit, The Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry, which forms B Squadron of The Royal Yeomanry. History The amalgamation of the 9th Lancers and 12th Lancers took place on 11 September 1960 in Tidworth Garrison Church.Brief History, page 12 The inscription reads: "Here on the 11 September 1960, 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) was formed by the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers and the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) coming together before God. It is not the beginning but the continuing of the same until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory." Since then the Regiment has served in Aden, Oman, Belize, Saudi Arabia, Canada, with the UN in Cyprus, in Germany throughout the Cold War and Northern Ireland throughout The Troubles. D Squadron deployed to the Middle East in 1991 on Operation ''Granby'' to provide Battle Casualty Replacements. On 10 May 1972 the Regiment received the Freedom of Derby and in 2000 the Queen Mother paid a visit to present a new Guidon shortly before her 100th birthday. The Regiment was once again at the forefront in 1992 as part of the deployment to Bosnia on Operation ''Grapple'' 1Brief History, page 15 and it was to return to both Bosnia and Kosovo on numerous occasions over the coming decade. From 2000, the operational activity of the Regiment has concentrated on the Balkans and the Middle East, interspersed with two deployments to Canada in 2002 as OPFOR (opposing force) and 2007 as both OPFOR and as a formation reconnaissance battlegroup. It took part in Operation ''Telic'' in Iraq and Operation ''Herrick'' in Afghanistan. The 9th/12th Royal Lancers completed their third tour to Iraq in December 2008 and are currently deployed on operations in Afghanistan. In 2012, as part of the Army 2020 reforms intended to reduce the size of the British Army in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review, it was announced that the 9th/12th Royal Lancers would be amalgamated with the Queen's Royal Lancers to form a single regiment, The Royal Lancers (RL). Battle honours The regiment carries the following battle honours awarded to its predecessors: * Egypt, Salamanca, Peninsula, Waterloo, Punniar, Sobraon, Chillianwallah, Goojerat, Punjaub, South Africa 1851-53, Sevastopol, Delhi 1857, Lucknow, Central India, Charasiah, Kabul 1878, Kandahar 1880, Afghanistan 1878-80, Modder River, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, South Africa 1899-1902 * Great War: Mons, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Messines 1914, Ypres 1914-18, Somme 1916-18, Arras 1917, Cambrai 1917-18, Rosieres, Sambre, Pursuit to Mons *''Second World War'': Dyle, Dunkirk 1940, Somme 1940, NW Europe 1940, Chor Es Sufan, Gazala, Rusweisat, El Alamein, El Hamma, Tunis, N Africa 1941-43, Lamone Bridgehead, Argenta Gap, Bologna, Italy 1944-45 Mons Moy Mons Moy''Brief History is the weekend that the Regiment, both serving and old comrades, remember the Fallen of all conflicts. Where commitments allow, it falls between 28 August and 7 September. On 28 August 1914 at Moy, the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) successfully charged against the German Guard Dragoons. On 7 September 1914 at Moncel the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers were successful in the last lance-on-lance charge of the First World War. Regimental Collect "O Eternal God, grant to us, thy servants of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, strength, guidance, courage, and steadfast Faith, that we may ever serve thee truly; and finally by thy mercy attain everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord - ''Amen"Brief History, page 2 Regimental Museum The Regimental Museum Display is housed within the Soldier’s Story gallery at Derby Museum and Art Gallery Future In 2012, as part of the Army 2020 reforms intended to reduce the size of the British Army in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review, it was announced that the 9th/12th Royal Lancers would be amalgamated with the Queen's Royal Lancers to form a single regiment, The Royal Lancers (RL), sometime before 2015. Alliances * - The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) * - 12th Cavalry (Sam Browne's Cavalry) Affiliations *B (Leicestershire and Derbyshire (Prince Albert's Own) Yeomanry) Squadron, Royal Yeomanry *HMS Tireless *B Squadron, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Army Cadet Force *Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force Order of precedence External links *Official site *Regimental Museum *9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) Charitable Association *British Army Locations from 1945 References *''A Brief History of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)'' - available as PDF on Official Site. *Hanwell (1949). A Short History of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers 1715 - 1949. Aldershot: Gale & Polden Ltd. *Stewart MC, PF. History of the XII Royal Lancers.Oxford University Press. *Brockbank, R & Collins, RM. A Short History of the XII Royal Lancers 1945 - 60. Polestar Wheatons Ltd. *9th/12th Royal Lancers Official website *Details of amalgamation 9-009 Royal Lancers Category:Military units and formations established in 1960 Category:Royal Armoured Corps Category:Collections of Derby Museum and Art Gallery